1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to learning aids and, more specifically, to a learning aid for string instruments, such as the guitar, violin, fiddle, banjo, cello, base and double base, and wherein the player alters the length of one or more strings by manually depressing the string or strings against a fretboard or fingerboard and manually actuates the shortened string or strings, by plucking, strumming or by playing a bow across the shortened string or strings, to cause said shortened string or strings to vibrate. Such a musical instrument is, hereinafter, referred to as "an instrument of the type defined".
In, for example, the playing of a guitar, the player may play a single string, altering the length of the string as described above before actuating the altered string. Alternatively the player may play a chord, the lengths of the strings to be played for the chord being first selected and depressed against suitable locations on the fretboard after which the selected chord is played. Having played a first string or chord the player will then shorten the strings to be played for the second chord, again by pressing the strings against suitable locations on the fretboard, and those strings are then played.
Thus, for each chord, the player must know in advance which strings are to be used, at what locations on the fretboard the strings have to be manually depressed to give the desired lengths, which fingers are to be used to depress the strings, which strings are to be played and which fingers are to be used to play the strings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Learning aids, for playing the guitar, are generally in the form of books which, for each chord, identify the location of the points where the strings must be depressed against the fretboard, which finger to use to depress each string, and how to play the strings. However, in the book form, the strings to be actuated for a given chord are illustrated by a simple diagram accompanied by a written description explaining the figure and thus, for each chord to be played, the player must read the text, study the diagram, and then practise the lesson taught for that chord. Such book learning aids are therefore longwinded, tedious and boring.